Related Links

“We want to preserve, protect and educate regarding music in the Fox Valley area,” said Steve Warrenfeltz, owner of Kiss The Sky record store in Batavia and one of the principal board members of the Fox Valley Music Foundation, a new nonprofit music foundation.

Aurora has a rich blues history. In 1937 and 1938, Sonny Boy Williamson, Henry Townsend and other notable Bluebird artists made recordings at the Leland Hotel in downtown Aurora.

Warrenfeltz was one of the volunteers who helped put on Blues on the Fox until the Paramount Theatre took over running the festival. He said he sees the Fox Valley Music Foundation continuing to grow.

“After the festival is over and done, then we are going to focus on what do we do from here,” Warrenfeltz said. “We’ve got some thoughts of creating a Fox Valley Music Hall of Fame, modeling it after The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. We would induct people into this hall of fame and have an induction ceremony concert and all that. We’ve got a lot to do in the latter part of this year.”

The first group of musicians might be inducted later this year or next spring, he said. Those who are inducted would have some sort of connection to the Fox Valley area.